So 90′s

This past week has been quite busy, but I finally had some time to do a quick photo-shoot. I decided to dedicate this post to a 90′s inspired look. It’s such a cliche, but it’s still an undeniable truth that fashion always repeats itself. Of course there are always new trends and inventions, and it was terribly boring if there weren’t, but almost every season you’ll come across some trends and features that relate to the past. I remember thinking to myself quite a few times that I should have saved more of my mother’s old clothes.

This spring was very influenced by the 60′s with black & white and mod dresses, but I’ve noticed some 90′s trends are making a comeback too. Now, I have to admit, I totally have a soft spot for the 90s since it’s the decade of my childhood and pre pubescent years. It was when I first discovered boy bands (a backstreet boys die hard fan, thank you very much), feel good movies (Clueless), crop tops (when I could still pull it off) and nail polish in colors that hurt your eyes (light blue,anyone?). Still, there are some trends that I would be happy to leave in the past – e.g. scrunchies, tattoo chokers and platform flip-flops. Then again, there are some that I’m quite happy to see again – plaid shirts, over the knee socks, even dungarees (I’m still ambivalent about that last one, but I’m gonna let it enjoy the benefit of the doubt).

One trend that definitely echoes the nineties (at least in my head) is tying a shirt around your waist. For years, tying a shirt around my waist looked awkward and childish, but I must admit that it totally got back in my good graces. Working a denim or plaid shirt around your waist is quite useful now that the weather is getting warmer, and adds a sort of effortless chic to your look. So, are you feeling nostalgic yet? Feel like trying on the 90s but don’t want to go too far? Well, why not tie a denim shirt around your waist?

I’m wearing:
Daisy embossed lace back t-shirt – Chicwish
Black mini skirt – Renuar
Faded detailing denim shirt – Romwe
Sunglasses – Armani Exchange
Loafers – Michal Miller

השבוע האחרון היה מאוד עמוס, אבל סוף סוף היה לי קצת זמן לצלם. החלטתי להקדיש את הפוסט הזה למראה ששואב השראה מהניינטיז. זו אמנם קצת קלישאה, אבל גם אמת חקוקה בסלע שאופנה תמיד חוזרת על עצמה. כמובן שתמיד יש טרנדים חדשים והמצאות חדשות, והיה מאוד משעמם אם לא היו כאלה, אבל כמעט כל עונה אפשר להיתקל במאפיינים ששואבים השראה מזמנים שעברו. אני זוכרת כמה וכמה פעמים שחשבתי לעצמי כמה זה חבל שלא שמרתי יותר מהבגדים הישנים של אימא…

באביב הנוכחי ניתן לראות הרבה השפעות משנות ה-60 עם טרנדים כמו שחור ולבן ושמלות בגזרות והדפסי מוד, אבל שמתי לב שכמה טרנדים משנות ה-90 חזרו לחיינו גם כן. גילוי נאות – יש לי חולשה לשנות ה-90 כיוון שזה העשור בו עברו עליי רוב שנות ילדותי וגם תחילת גיל ההתבגרות. זה העשור בו גיליתי את להקות הבנים (מעריצה מושבעת של הבקסטריט בויז), סרטי טיפשיים וכיפיים (קלולס), חולצות בטן (כשעוד יכולתי להרשות לעצמי) ולקים בצבעים מסנוורים (מי אמר תכלת ולא קיבל?). אמנם יש כמה טרנדים שהייתי שמחה להשאיר בעבר כגון גומיות קטיפה, שרשראות צמודות לצוואר וכפכפי אצבע עם פלטפורמה. מצד שני, יש כמה טרנדים שכיף לראות שוב – חולצות משובצות, גרביים מעל הברך ואפילו אוברולים (אני קצת אמביוולנטית לגביהם, אבל ניתן להם להנות מהספק בינתיים).

טרנד אחד שבהחלט מזכיר לי את שנות התשעים הוא חולצה קשורה מסביב למותניים. במשך כמה שנים טובות, לקשור חולצה סביב המותניים הצטייר בעיניי כמראה מסורבל וילדותי אבל אני חייבת להודות שהחולצה הקשורה שבה למצוא חן בעיניי.לקשור חולצת ג’ינס או חולצת משבצות מכופתרת סביב המותניים זה גם מאוד שימושי בימים אביביים שמתחילים קרים ומתחממים בהמשך וגם מוסיף שיק נונשלנטי למראה הכללי. נו, הצלחתי לעורר בכן נוסטלגיה? בא לכן להתחבר לניינטיז אבל לא רוצות להגזים? למה לא לקשור חולצת ג’ינס סביב המותניים?

אני לובשת:

חולצה אפורה עם הדפס פרחים בולט – Chicwish
חצאית מיני שחורה – רנואר
חולצת ג’ינס – Romwe
משקפי שמש – Armani Exchange
נעליים – מיכל מילר

Three ways to wear denim shorts

Since I haven’t had time to do any photo-shoots recently (due to good personal reasons, don’t worry), I thought I’d try something different and create three different sets using the Polyvore platform. I’ve actually seen this on many other blogs, and it wasn’t really my thing, but I have to say creating these sets is so much fun! It’s like playing dress up with dolls, minus the dolls that is.

I styled these three different looks around a pair of denim shorts with hearts, since I recently purchased such a pair and can’t wait for them to arrive. The weather is already very hot here, plus I’m always impatient to wear new purchases.

I tried to create sets based on clothes that I already have, trying to keep it real, but I also had to let myself have a little fun because that’s one of the great things in making these sets, is that you can “afford” whatever the hell you want. Yay!

 מכיוון שלא היה לי זמן לצילומים לאחרונה (בגלל נסיבות אישיות משמחות, אל דאגה), חשבתי לנסות משהו שונה וליצור שלוש תלבושות שונות בעזרת הפלטפורמה של Polyvore. למעשה ראיתי סטים כאלה בבלוגים אחרים, וזה לא ממש עשה לי את זה, אבל גיליתי שליצור את הסטים האלה זה ממש כיף! כמו לשחק בלהלביש בובות, רק בלי הבובות.

יצרתי שלושה מראות שונים כאשר המשותף לכולם הוא זוג שורטס עם לבבות שרכשתי לאחרונה אונליין, ואני מחכה בחוסר סבלנות שיגיע. כפי שאתן יודעות, מזג האוויר כבר די לוהט וחוץ מזה אני תמיד אוהבת ללבוש בגדים חדשים (מי לא?).

ניסיתי להתבססס כמה שיותר על בגדים שיש לי בארון, או דברים דומים, מתוך מחשבה של “איך באמת הייתי לובשת אותם”, אבל מצד שני הייתי חייבת לתת לעצמי קצת חופש יצירתי כי אחד הדברים הכיפים בליצור סטים כאלה הוא שאת יכולה להרשות לעצמך מה שבא לך, לא משנה כמה זה עולה. יש!

Zoë Jordan metallic top / Gray jacket / Marc by Marc Jacobs grey leather handbag / Short jean shorts / Del Toro flat heels

The first one is my favorite. I have a similar top, and wish I had these ridiculous shoes like Del-Toro’s loafers for fall 2013. The blazer just reminds me that I need to get a decent one in some pastel color, I only have black right now and it’s so depressing.

הסט הראשון הוא בהחלט החביב עליי. יש לי חולצה דומה והייתי רוצה שיהיו לי נעליים מטריפות כאלה כמו של דל-טורו לסתיו 2013. הבלייזר מזכיר לי שאני צריכה אחד בצבע בהיר, כרגע יש לי רק בשחור וזה כה מדכא.

Sand and white by inbal-reshef featuring an ipad handbag

Monki summer shirt / Flat shoes / Bop Basics ipad handbag / H&M h m

Ah, I love white! The second one comprises of beach-y colors (not bitchy colors) and I think is a really good outfit for cocktails by the beach, or a casual dinner date. Here, too, I relied on a similar top that I have from Zara and a braided clutch I got from top ten (it’s like the Israeli accessorize, only trashier).

כמה שאני אוהבת לבן! הסט השני מכיל צבעים בגווני חול ואני חושבת שזו תלבושת נהדרת לקוקטיילים על החוף, או ארוחת ערב נינוחה. גם כאן התבססתי על חולצה דומה שיש לי מבית היוצר של זארה, וקלאץ’ קלוע מטופ טן.

elegant pastels by inbal-reshef featuring wingtip shoes

Acne chiffon top / Rocha.John Rocha wingtip shoes / ALDO / Vintage necklace

For the last one, I tried to create something more feminine, but I think it turned out more androgynous than the rest. Oh well. I really love the colors and the ombre top, although I don’t have any ombre clothes (yet). The shoes reminded me a bit of my Betsey Johnsons, only more bridal-esque.

לסט האחרון, ניסיתי ליצור מראה יותר נשי, אבל לדעתי יצא מראה יותר אנדרוגיני מכל השאר. נו טוב. אני מאוד אוהבת את הגוונים הסגולים והורודים של הסט הזה ובמיוחד את החולצה בצבעי שקיעה. הנעליים הזכירו לי מעט את נעלי הבלרינה של בטסי ג’ונסון שיש לי, רק בסגנון יותר כלתי.

So what do you think my lovely readers? What’s your favorite one? And do you think I should do more of these?

אז מה חשבתן קוראות יקרות? מה הסט האהוב עליכן? והאם כדאי לכתוב עוד פוסטים בסגנון?

Prints Vol. 2 – The Missing Parts

There are certain times in a woman’s life when she feels like something’s missing. Like she needs something more.  This happens to me every once in a while when I stare at my wardrobe with some dissatisfaction, I get a sense that something is missing, unbalanced. I’m not talking about quantity, a great wardrobe doesn’t necessarily have to be a huge one, but I do believe it should be diverse. When you find that your closet contains only or mostly just one style of clothing, it might mean that it’s getting a little boring. Obviously, everyone has a different taste and propensity towards certain styles and genres, but I think one of the most fun and interesting aspects in fashion is breaking out of your comfort zone and wearing garments that aren’t necessarily your default choice.

With the coming of spring, this “thing” that was missing for me was definitely more prints and textures. Lately, I’ve been exploring the concept of how to mix different prints and textures, and this outfit is a first step in this direction. Doing it wrong can result in a bit of a clown-ish appearance, but getting it right just takes the outfit to a whole other level. When I see an outfit that’s well thought-out, where everything combines so well together even if it isn’t matching in color, pattern or textures, it just makes me starry eyed. Admittedly, I didn’t go all out just yet, but I really like this outfit as a start. Since I didn’t go for clashing colors, but opted for a white top to go with the printed pants, I thought it would be interesting to wear one that has a special texture. I chose this white blouse from Chicwish that has a lace-like fabric for pockets, sleeves and top back part. I also love the unique shape of its collar. I added loafers that also have two different textures (a first peak at my new purchases from Shoofuni), and finished with a gold necklace and a classic black boyfriend blazer.

I’m wearing:
Best lace forward top – Chicwish (here)
Printed pants – H&M
Alexa loafers – Michal Miller
Black boyfriend blazer – Ebay

What do you like better? Clashing prints or a clean look? And even more importantly – what did you think about my new haircut? :)

 ישנם זמנים בחייה של אישה בהם היא מרגישה שמשהו חסר. זה קורה לי לפעמים כשאני בוחנת את ארון הבגדים שלי בחוסר-סיפוק מסוים , אני מרגישה כאילו יש חסר מסוים, או חוסר-איזון. הכוונה היא לאו דווקא למחסור בבגדים. מלתחה נהדרת לא חייבת לכלול המון בגדים (למרות שאני חוטאת גם בזה לעתים), אבל אני מאמינה שהיא כן צריכה להיות מגוונת.  כאשר את מגלה שהמלתחה שלך מכילה רובה ככולה רק סגנון מסוים של ביגוד, ייתכן שזה אומר שהיא בדרך להיות משעממת משהו. כמובן שלכל אחת טעם משלה ונטייה לאהוב סגנון מסוים יותר מאחרים, אבל לדעתי אחד ההיבטים המעניינים והמהנים ביותר בעולם האופנה הוא לצאת מאיזור הנוחות של עצמך וללבוש פריטים שהם לאו דווקא “ברירת מחדל”.

עם בוא האביב, הרגשתי שה”דבר” הזה שחסר במלתחה שלי הוא הדפסים וטקסטורות מעניינות לרוב. לאחרונה התחלתי לחקור את הנושא של איך לשלב בין הדפסים וטקסטורות שונות, והתלבושת שבתמונה היא צעד ראשון בכיוון. שילוב לא מושכל בין הדפסים או דוגמאות שונות בהחלט עלול ליצור מראה ליצני במקצת, אבל כשעושים את זה נכון המראה פשוט משתדרג בכמה רמות. כשאני רואה מישהי לבושה היטב, עם פריטים שמשתלבים בצורה הרמונית אחד עם השני, גם אם הם לא תואמים בשום צורה ואפילו בזכות העובדה הזו – זה פשוט מסנוור. אודה ואתוודה שעוד לא הלכתי עד הסוף, אבל אני מאוד את התלבושת שבתמונות בתור התחלה. בנוסף, הרגשתי שההדפס הספציפי הזה צריך לבלוט בזכות עצמו ולא להיבלע או לבלוע הדפס אחר. כיוון שלא בחרתי בצבעים מתנגשים, אלא בצבע לבן שיתאים למכנסיים המודפסים, חשבתי שהיה מעניין ללבוש חולצה שיש לה מאפיין מיוחד ולכן בחרתי בחולצה הזו מ-chicwish שיש לה כיסים, שרוולים וחלק אחורי מבד מחורר דמוי-תחרה וצווארון מגניב. הוספתי מוקסינים שחורים שעשויים גם הם משני מרקמים שונים (הצצה ראשונה לרכישות החדשות משופוני), שרשרת בציפוי זהב ובלייזר שחור.

אני לובשת:

חולצה לבנה עם פרטים דמויי-תחרה – Chicwish
מכנסיים עם הדפס – H&M
נעלי “אלכסה” – מיכל מילר
בלייזר שחור – Ebay
שרשרת – שני מנחם

ומה איתכן? אתן אוהבות שילובי הדפסים או מעדיפות את המראה הנקי? ומה חשבתן על התספורת החדשה שלי? :)

Can a tiger change its (black and white) stripes?

About two months ago, I read a short column in a magazine about the black and white stripes trend. Apparently, it started out in a Marc Jacob’s fashion show and then spread like wildfire until you couldn’t turn your head without seeing girls clad in stripy outfits of the monochrome type. The writer of this article claimed that any true fashionista would be wise to stay away from this trend, as it was so enthusiastically embraced that it would be considered as bad taste to wear it now. At first, reading this really annoyed me. It sounded so stupid to me that just because something has become prevalent, it lost all its appeal. But then it also made perfect sense. Don’t we always want the hardest thing to get? Don’t we always aspire to be unique in our own way?

I think there is no doubt in anybody’s mind that the black and white stripes trend has pretty much worn itself out before spring had even started. That being said, I think the combination of black and white is still a classic one that will never go out of style. There are certain adaptations of this trend that I really can’t stand to see anymore (e.g. vertical striped leggings). On the other hand, some black and white items really rock. They rocked before Marc Jacobs decided to stripe up his models and they’ll keep rocking after. Besides, as I’ve said before, if I really like something, I won’t refrain from wearing it just because everyone else is.

This Motel dress is a great interpretation of the black and white trend, in my opinion. Its waterfall pattern is a little more interesting than any old stripes, as well as its somewhat tent-like silhouette that reminds me of mod dresses – another hot trend for spring, and one that I’m not fed up with for a change. I wore it once as a dress, but since the weather has gone completely crazy and regressed back to winter over the past week, I decided to wear it as a top, with everything else in black. I definitely like it better as a dress, but it’s nice to diversify a little and wear garments not necessarily in the way they were meant to be worn.

Outfit details
Hannah shift dress (here) – Motel
Black studded pants – Mango
Faux leather jacket – local store
Ankle Boots – Jeffrey Campbell

Are you totally fed up with black and white or just can’t get enough?

My experience at Shoofuni

Shoofuni is a shoe fair, taking place at the Jaffa port and offering a variety of shoes from Israeli designers, usually at lowered prices. This fair has actually taken place for the 8th time, but for me it was the first visit (did we mention I’m a late bloomer?), and I thought it’s a great opportunity to share this experience with you. Apologies to all my non-Israeli readers, although this might be interesting to anyone who’s an avid shoe lover.

Overall, I’m going to go ahead and say it was a positive experience. It might be because of the unexpected rain, but it wasn’t too crowded, which allowed a more pleasant shopping experience. The designers and saleswomen were mostly very welcoming and willing to help. The only thing that rained on my shoe parade was the prices, which are less than accessible shall we say.

Trends

I honestly don’t know how in-tune the Israeli shoe industry is with global trends. Hell, I don’t even really know what are the global trends. I can, however, tell you about a few trends that were very recognizable across almost all the designers’ stands.

Colorful. The neutral colors of black, grey and nude were actually a rare view in the landscape of spring/summer shoes. Vivid, bright colors such as blue, orange, red and yellow pretty much dominated the scenery.

Flats vs. Heels. As someone who can’t walk in high heels to save her life, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety and abundance of flats, which you don’t always enjoy at the popular shoe retailers. As an FOF (fan of flats – I just totally made that up), I feel that many times you have to choose between elegance and comfort, but there was such a variety of beautiful flat shoes, that such a choice was not necessary.

This photo has been taken from Shoo Funi facebook page. I have no copyright over this image.

Laces. Not in the traditional sense of shoes with laces, but more like shoes with corsets. Feeling a little Victorian, are we? The first pair I saw was actually pretty cool, but after seeing this repeated over and over again, it felt a little worn out. It is, however, a great solution for anyone who has narrow feet because it allows you to adjust the size according to your own measurements.

Peep-toe. Many of the high-heeled shoes at the fair rocked this style, which I personally really love. Generally, many models I saw were very retro-chic, and their design reminded me of the shoes I’ve seen in photos of my grandmothers when they were young. The peep-toe is no exception, although I think it really has a timeless chic.

Prices

This is really the only thing that was less enjoyable. It should be taken into account that these are designer shoes, and not shoes that are manufactured in mass-production for retail chains, but still, calling prices of around 500-650 shekels discounted prices is a little disconnected from reality. Although I definitely think it’s worth investing in one high quality pair instead of two or three pairs of lesser quality, I believe that most Israeli women still can’t afford shoes at this price.

Holy Leggings

Leggings. What a strange item of clothing, really. My first memory of leggings is that of a small child, somewhere in the early 90s (god I feel old) , when they still enjoyed some fame (no pun intended) left over from the 80s , wearing a pair of red footed ones…The horror…No wonder I wasn’t very fond of them back then.

Anyways, according to Wikipedia, leggings actually started out as an under-garment worn in order to keep warm in cold countries. That’s pretty ironic, considering one of my favorite things about leggings is that often, wearing them actually feels like wearing nothing at all. No, I don’t have any nudist aspirations, I do however like to be comfortable, which is might be considered a fashion faux-pas within itself. They first debuted as a stand alone item somewhere in the 60s. I don’t know if that’s actually true, but I know that in the last 4-5 years, or at least it seems so to me, leggings have made a huge comeback. They seem to be everywhere, and my closet is no exception (I’m not really one to care if everyone’s wearing them, at least to a certain limit). I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with printed leggings. Some designs are just brilliant, while others walk the fine line of being juvenile or just plain ugly.

The first time I came across some crazy-design leggings was on lookbook, and it was none other than one of Black Milk’s designs. They do have some gorgeous designs, but unfortunately, 80$ for a pair of leggings no matter how beautiful, is just too much for me to spend. Luckily, about a year ago, Romwe also released their own line of leggings, which you can say carry a suspicious resemblance to Black Milk’s designs but priced much more reasonably. Some are really cool, some less attractive. The first pair I got was actually as a gift, and it was a pair of galaxy leggings. That only opened my appetite for a second pair, which I’ve been coveting for a while, and here they are before you – cathedral print leggings, or as the BF likes to call them – holy leggings! I find that pretty hilarious.

Apologies for the crotch shot.

I first wore them with an acid-wash denim shirt, but unfortunately didn’t take any pictures. So you’re gonna have to make do with a more boring version, just paired them with some basic items – cream colored sweater, lace-up black ankle boots and my good ol’ gold and suede necklace. Since it’s a statement item within itself, I think it’s still an interesting outfit without being too flamboyant.

Outfit details:
Printed leggings – Romwe (here)
Cream colored sweater – H&M
Ankle boots – Republic footwear
Gold and suede necklace – local designer

How do you like your leggings? Do you like them at all? Talk to me.

Challenging high heels

Today I’m going to take on a serious challenge, one that might earn me a lot of criticism, but nevertheless I feel the need to speak my mind. Many if not all fashionistas swear by them, and I might very well be deemed as lacking any sense of style for going against them. Yes ladies, I’m talking about high heels.

I’m going to get one thing off the table right now – Yes, they look good, I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t look good in high heels. That is one thing I’m not going to argue with. I will, however, try to challenge the idea that you have to wear them in order to be fashionable/be stylish/look good. This is not a manifesto against women who like to wear high heels. If you like it, enjoy it and it makes you feel good – go ahead. This goes out simply to say that you don’t have to, if you don’t want to.

Now that we’re all clear, there’s a little confession to be made. The idea of writing this post came to me after reading a post on the well-known blog, Man Repeller, which talks about how good it is that single-sole pumps are making a comeback. I was just reading it and thinking “Really? You’d endure all of that just to make your legs look a little better?”. So yeah, as I said, I’ll probably get stoned to death for arguing that you shouldn’t sacrifice all in order to look the best you can, but as a matter of fact, I don’t think you should.

Inspired by Men Repeller’s list, I’ve made a list of my own of why high heels are evil. Just kidding, but seriously, read the list:

Gruesome feet. If you walk in high heels often enough, usually your feet will look pretty miserable. you get hard skin on the balls of your feet and blisters on your toes. If you wear them long enough, you might even develop bunions. Yuck! Yes, you can take good care of your feet with pedicures and all sorts of other creams and lotions, but really, you can just pamper them with a nice pair of flats.

Happy in my flats :)

Oh, the pain! In two words – it hurts! It hurts your feet, it can cause pain in your ankles, your knees and your back. And no, I’m not a big fan of of having to suffer in order to be beautiful. Is it really worth it? (No, it isn’t.) I have to admit I’m not totally unbiased here. As much as I love styling and fashion, I’ve always has a tendency towards things that are more natural, which is also one of the reasons I don’t wear make up or use a hair straightener.

The hunchback of Notre Dam. This one is mostly relevant for those who can’t walk in high heels (myself included), and therefore stumble around in them, causing the “hunchback of Notre dam” phenomenon. Women who can’t walk in high heels look clumsy at best and ridiculous at worst. But really, I know it’s a total cliche, but I do believe you look your best when you’re comfortable in what you wear. I’m not going to exaggerate and encourage you to leave home in your pajamas, but I do think that being confident is sexy, and it’s hard to feel confident when you feel the ground moving under your feet, literally.

Free falling. This kinda relates to the previous point, and what I’m talking about is taking a dive from your own personal sky scrapers. Falling down is never fun, but doing it on high heels is even more painful and more embarrassing. It’s actually very surprising that I never fell on my butt while wearing high heels, but trying to avoid this embarrassment results in the former (i.e. the hunchback…).

A healthy mind in a healthy body. High heels are actually bad for your health.Wearing them on a regular basis can cause a number of problems ranging from foot deformities (more serious stuff than just blisters) to shortening of the Achilles tendon and back pain. Yikes.

What’s the alternative? With so many great flats out there just waiting to be worn, you really don’t have to choose between having a great sense of style to being comfortable. Be it oxfords, creepers,sandals, or ballerina shoes there are so many different styles and the options are almost endless. If you want to feel a little more dressed-up, there are also some great low-heels that can give you the same  effect without having to torture your feet.

So are you convinced or are you forever faithful to your high heels?